Expedition to Survey Sunken U-Boats Off North Carolina

Scientists set off this week to study the wrecks of three German
submarines sunk by U.S. forces in 1942 off the coast of North Carolina
during the Battle of the Atlantic.

"This expedition is the first part of a larger multi-year project to
research and document a number of historically significant shipwrecks
tragically lost during World War II,
including U.S. and British naval vessels and merchant marine vessels,"
said David W. Alberg, expedition leader and superintendent of the USS
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. "The information collected during
this expedition will be crucial to efforts to preserve these historic
sites."

Researchers will survey and photograph visible sections of the three
submarines, U-352, U-85 and U-701, using non-invasive methods. They will
also study marine life found at the sites.

The wrecks, popular dive sites off the Outer Banks of North
Carolina, are considered war graves and will not be disturbed during
the expedition. (The word U-boat refers to German military submarines operated during
World War I and World War II, and is an anglicization of the German
abbreviation for "unterseeboot," or undersea boat.)

The sunken German U-boats are located in an area known as the
"Graveyard of the Atlantic," which encompasses shipwrecks from both
sides of the Battle of the Atlantic at recreational diving depths (less than 130 feet).

Two of the U-boats, U-352 and U-85, have been severely impacted by
salvage operators and souvenir hunters since their discovery more than
three decades ago. U-701 is relatively intact but also has begun to
show signs of damage from illegal salvage attempts. The sub was
discovered by recreational divers in 1989 before being covered by sand
and rediscovered in 2004.

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is conducting the
survey in partnership with the Minerals Management Service, National
Park Service, State of North Carolina, East Carolina University and the
University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute. The expedition
runs through July 26.

Next summer, the team plans to investigate Allied wrecks in the
Graveyard of the Atlantic. Some of the wrecks lie at recreational
diving depths, while many are located in deeper waters where they
remain untouched and in relatively good condition.

Live Science Staff

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